Hide, Conceal, Cover, Disguise, Mask, Bury, Camouflage
They all relate to preventing something from being seen or noticed, but they are far from interchangeable. Each carries its own nuance about how the hiding is done, why, and how formal the situation is.
Choosing the right verb can make your writing more precise—and help you avoid sentences that sound slightly wrong to a native speaker.
Hide
Hide means to put or keep out of sight. Hide is an everyday term — the broadest and most common of the seven. It can be intentional or accidental, physical or figurative, and it works in almost any context. Hide can be transitive (hide something) or intransitive (hide behind something).
- She hid the key under the doormat.
- The cat hid behind the sofa.
- He tried to hide his disappointment.
Conceal
Conceal means deliberate effort to prevent something from being seen or known. It is a formal, deliberate word-often about secrets, facts, or weapons.
- He concealed the documents in a locked drawer.
- She concealed her true feelings behind a smile.
- The police found a concealed weapon.
Cover
Cover means to put something over or on top of something else. The purpose may be protection, warmth, decoration, or hiding—but hiding is not always the goal.
- Cover the food with a cloth.
- She was covered in mud.
- He covered his face with his hands.
Disguise
Disguise means to change someone’s or something’s appearance so that people do not recognize them—or so that something looks like something else.
- He disguised himself as a security guard.
- The car was disguised as a taxi.
- She disguised her voice on the phone.
Mask
Mask means to cover or obscure something so that it is less noticeable. It is often used for feelings, smells, sounds, tastes, and facts—things that cannot literally be “hidden” under a blanket.
- The perfume masked the smell of smoke.
- He masked his anger with a calm voice.
- The noise was masked by the traffic.
Bury
Bury literally means to put something in the ground or under a pile of something. Figuratively, it means to hide deeply or suppress.
- The dog buried the bone.
- The treasure was buried under the tree.
- He buried his face in his hands.
Camouflage
Camouflage means to hide something by making it blend into its surroundings. It is strongly associated with military use and nature.
- The soldiers camouflaged the tank with branches and leaves.
- The octopus camouflages itself against the rocks.
- The animals’ brown fur camouflages them in the forest.
Difference between these words:
Hide is the normal everyday word for putting something where no one can see it, or for staying out of sight yourself. It can be used with an object (“hide the key”) or without one (“hide behind the door”).
Hide is the general, everyday verb for keeping something out of sight.
Conceal is a formal, deliberate word—often about secrets, facts, or weapons. You can hide a toy from a child, but you conceal evidence from the police. Conceal often carries a slight tone of secrecy or deception, and it is common in legal, official, and literary writing.
Cover means putting something over or on top of something else. It may hide what’s underneath, but that isn’t always the reason you do it. “Hide” is more directly about keeping something out of sight.
Disguise is about false appearance—making something look like something it is not.
Disguise always implies a false appearance or misleading identity. You disguise yourself, your voice, your intentions, or an object so that it is mistaken for something else. It is stronger and more specific than hide: hiding keeps something out of sight; disguising lets it be seen but misidentified.
Mask is about obscuring something—especially feelings, smells, sounds, or facts—so it goes unnoticed.
Mask can also be literal: a masked ball, a surgical mask. But the figurative use is very common. Unlike disguise, which changes identity, mask usually covers up or diminishes something so it is not noticed. You mask a smell; you disguise a person.
Bury is literal “put under ground/under something,” or figurative “hide deeply/suppress.”
Bury is more specific than hide: it implies placing something under earth or under a covering. Figuratively, it often suggests emotional suppression or deep concealment: bury your feelings, bury the hatchet.
Camouflage is hiding by blending into the surroundings.
Camouflage is a specific method of hiding: it is not just about covering something, but about making it match the environment so it is difficult to detect. You can camouflage a person, an object, or an animal. It is less common in everyday speech than hide, but it is precise and vivid when used correctly.
In a nutshell
Hide = the general word for keeping out of sight.
Conceal = formal, deliberate hiding—often of secrets or facts.
Cover = put something over something else; hiding may or may not be the goal.
Disguise = give a false appearance so something is misidentified.
Mask = obscure so it is less noticeable (smells, feelings, sounds).
Bury = put under ground or under something; figuratively, suppress deeply.
Camouflage = hide by blending into the surroundings.
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